Kazakhs looking for new coach

Race for return to top division without Selin

The Kazakh national team’s coaching staff led by head coach Ari-Pekka Selin (in the middle) resigned following the relegation at the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship. Photo: Andre Ringuette / HHOF-IIHF Images

ASTANA – The Kazakh national team will be led by a new coaching staff it was decided at the Kazakhstan Ice Hockey Federation’s executive committee meeting on Wednesday.

Following the report of national team coach Ari-Pekka Selin and general manager Nurlan Orazbayev the board unanimously decided to rate the performance of the Kazakh national team at the 2014 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship in Minsk, Belarus, unsatisfactory and to accept the resignation of the coaching staff and general manager.

Finnish coach Selin, who remains as head coach of the Kazakh KHL club Barys Astana, was coaching the national team for one season. A successor has not been named yet.

Kazakhstan finished the World Championship in 16th and last place after losing all seven preliminary-round games. The Kazakhs will battle for promotion with a new head coach in the 2015 IIHF Ice Hockey World Championship Division I Group A that also includes Italy, Japan, Ukraine, Hungary and Poland.

Following the results and reports from the men’s, U20, U18 and women’s national teams, the executive committee decided to increase the number of international competitions for the national teams.